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3-D metal printing Wiki
Welcome to the ! This wiki is about the basics of what 3-D metal printing is. There are 5 different sections, composing of an Introduction of 3-D metal printing, Current Use, Security Aspects, Ethical/Social Issues, and Future Use. The section starts below Introduction 3-D metal printing (also known as additive metal manufacturing) is a fairly new concept that has just recently come out. Although 3-D printing has been out for quite some time, 3-D Metal Printing is an extension of 3-D printing and it’s techniques. 3-D printing uses plastic to print out different models, while on the other hand, 3-D metal printing uses metals to print out its models. In 3-D Metal Printing there are three different methods to print, which include Direct energy deposition (DED), powder bed fusion, and binder. 'Current Use ' Although 3-D printing is now available for consumers and everyday people to use, that isn’t the case for 3-D metal printing. This type of metal printing is not aimed toward consumer use but toward businesses. The reason being because these machines can cost quite a lot, ranging from $500,000 to 2 million. 3-D metal printers are mainly used by the US defense and aerospace industries, but can be used by other bigger companies. The US defense and aerospace industries use 3-D metal printing mainly for printing out smaller version of machines they want to build. 'Security Aspects ' Although 3-D metal printing is an automatic process, human labor is still required for some parts of the process. The individuals who work with 3-D metal printing need to know enough of the basics and have enough skills so they don’t get hurt. However, since this concept is still fairly new, enough people don’t have the right skills to be able to operate a 3-D metal printer. Workers are dealing with hazardous materials such as metal powders, so they need to keep a face mask on all the time to prevent them from exposure. 'Ethical and Social Implications ' Although 3-D metal printing is better for the environment because it doesn’t require plastic, it costs much more because metal is more expensive than plastic. This can prevent companies from using 3-D metal printing because they aren’t able to afford it or the metal powder it constantly requires. A social implication for 3-D metal printing would include printing out models/objects based on other companies (or peoples) ideas and selling them illegally. This is obviously a crime but not that likely to happen due to the high cost of just buying a 3-D metal printer in order to commit this act. 'Future Use ' Mostly 3-D metal printing is used by developed countries because of the cost regarding the metal powders used to print out models. As of right now it isn’t likely that developing countries will be using 3-D metal printing because of high costs regarding using it. Developing countries mostly use 3-D printing with plastic models because it is cheaper. Bigger companies are now switching over from 3-D printers to 3-D metal printers due to its reliability and ease of access. Important articles Need help building out this community? * * * * * You can also be part of the larger Fandom family of communities. Visit Fandom's Community Central! Category:Browse